Breaking: Judge dismisses abortion clinic’s lawsuit against pro-life group for video parody

LifeSiteNews: [Warning! Video in the linked article is very graphic.] In January 2011 the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform posted what it called “the most shocking 4-minute abortion debate you will ever see.” CBR juxtaposed a video produced by Northland Family Planning Centers touting “the goodness” of abortion with video cuts showing the reality of abortion. Northland is a late-term abortion chain of 3 mills in Michigan that aborts babies up to 24 weeks old. CBR merely showed what those abortions look like.

But Northland did not appreciate CBR’s unauthorized use of its video and sued, going so far as to hire the largest intellectual property law firm in the United States to represent its case. Last Friday Judge James Selna, of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California dismissed Northland’s lawsuit, ruling in favor of CBR, which was represented by the American Freedom Law Center. The obvious intent of CBR’s video was parody and critique, which is protected use of copyrighted material under the U.S. Fair Use trademark law.